A new project in Hong Kong is using DNA analysis to build digital portraits of litterbugs

A new environmental campaign is aiming to tackle one of Hong Kong’s most worrying epidemics - litter.  The Face of Litter uses DNA evidence from old rubbish to create a digital portrait of the litterer. The discarded rubbish will provide the DNA evidence needed to assess eye colour, hair colour, skin colour and ancestry. From there a face shape can be assessed and an accurate portrait of the litterbug established.

Launched on Earth Day in partnership with Hong Kong Cleanup, Ecozine, The Nature Conservancy, and Ogilvy, the campaign posts the incriminating portraits on transit ads, social media, and print publications all throughout Hong Kong. The aim is to raise awareness and get people to think twice about how they dispose of their rubbish.

Every day in Hong Kong, more than 16,000 tons of waste is dumped in the streets and public spaces. China and Indonesia are responsible for more than a third of the plastic bottles, bags and other trash washed out to sea.

People are slowly beginning to recognise the impact of their lifestyle choices on the environment.  While this campaign names and shames, others, such as New York restaurant wastED, take a more gentle approach in educating the consumer on the benefits of dealing with rubbish with respect.